Homeless Woman Found Dead Under Bridge in Whitfield County, Suspect Arrested

On August 21, 2024, the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office received a request to conduct a welfare check on a woman lying under a bridge near the intersection of Willowdale Road and Crow Valley Road. Upon arrival, deputies found a deceased female next to the railroad tracks.

The woman was later identified as 50-year-old Luz Divina Ramirez, who was homeless. Evidence collected at the scene indicated that Ramirez had been struck multiple times in the head and face with a large rock.

Through evidence left at and near the crime scene, investigators identified 54-year-old Fred Edward Sherman Jr. of Dalton as a suspect. Sherman was interviewed and admitted to assaulting Ramirez with a rock, leading to her death.

Sherman was taken into custody and charged with murder. Additional charges are pending. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is assisting the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office in the ongoing investigation.